


No Flowers

by MamaZamo



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Age Difference, Eventual Kink, F/F, Fake Girlfriends, Family Drama, Fluff, Lesbians, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Smut, Sugar Baby Trixie, Sugar Mama Katya, Twitter, cis women
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 18:46:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15891897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MamaZamo/pseuds/MamaZamo
Summary: Trixie Mattel is 24 & struggling to pay her bills, thanks to a dead-end job; Katya Zamolodchikova is 39 & has more money than she knows what to do with. When Katya needs a fake girlfriend to get her family off her back, the two become business partners (in Katya’s words) in order to help one another out.Title is from Sylvia Plath's "Tulips":I didn’t want any flowers, I only wanted / To lie with my hands turned up and be utterly empty. / How free it is, you have no idea how free—— / The peacefulness is so big it dazes you.





	No Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little side project from “Domestic Dame, Shaken or Stirred!"
> 
> Please be extra sure to comment if you’re interested, since I have no idea how this AU idea will go over! Things you can expect if I continue it: cute skiing Katya (think of all her Aspen outfits!), the comedy of Fake Girlfriends™, will-they-or-won’t-they tension, & because-- spoiler alert-- THEY WILL, all the smut & kink you can handle. Honestly, I just needed an outlet for the filth, so this is eventually gonna be it.
> 
> As always, I love each & every one of you for your comments, asks (mamazamo.tumblr.com), sugar (ko-fi.com/zamokitty), & general all-around wonderfulness. Talk to me & let me know what you think-– should I write more?! ♡

 

_the same moving parts... now with 2% more jush ( & pearl) _

    

pearl:  bitch what are you even doing

trix:  trying to make $ bitch

pearl:  get another job!!!

tati:  i say do it!

pearl:  dont encourage her tati

trix:  i mean im doing it anyway

trix:  sooooo

milk:  wAIT what did i miss

jasmine:  trixie’s getting her jush

milk:  HOW

jasmine:  selling feet pics to gross men

tati:  she’s gonna get rich af

trix:  ummmm i doubt that

trix:  if sephora would stop fukcing hiring ppl

trix:  then i wouldnt need a side gig

pearl:  i still vote get another job

trix:  hmmmm let me think abt that NO

Trixie clicked away from the group chat & opened her notifications.  It’d been twelve minutes since she’d sent her tweet: _Who wants to buy feet or tit pics? Or just be my sugar daddy… sugar mama… I’m open. DM me. <3   _ Sadly, her notifications were mostly filled with frat boys or disgusting creeps.  Her DMs weren’t much different— aside from whatever was happening in the group chat, she had gotten a couple of messages.  She clicked one from @footlvr77. _Hey baby send pics._

Next.  @scott_81 _Hi pretty, how old are you?_  His profile looked less obviously lecherous.

    

trix:  hi, i’m 24.  what are you interested in?

scott_81:  Good age. You’re very cute.

trix:  thx

scott_81:  Do you have Venmo?

trix:  yes…

scott_81:  Will $30 get me far with getting your shirt off?

trix:  make it $40 & yes

scott_81:  Send Venmo

trix:  trixieewi9

She bit her lip when she saw the Venmo notification come through only a few seconds later:   _Scott P. has sent you $40._  She scrolled through her phone to the album titled only with a fire emoji— there was no extra work she was about to put herself through when she already had perfectly good nudes saved.  Choosing one she’d sent to her ex months ago, she zoomed in to make sure no identifying information was visible in the background, then cropped her face out, exposing only her neck, shoulders,  & bare tits.  “At least they’re good for something,” she mumbled to herself as she opened the DM & attached the photo, hitting _send_ before she could overthink it, then returning to her inbox.

    

 Jak3man69:  Did someone say feet?

 Trixie sighed & rolled her eyes before replying, _sure_.

    

Jak3man69: Send pic?

trix:  send money?

Jak3man69:  How do I know you won’t scam me?

trix:  how do i know you wont?

Jak3man69: Well.  I’ll send you half first.

trix:  $30… send half to trixieewi9 on venmo

Jak3man69:  Pricey

trix:  ok do you want pics or not

_Jacob S. has sent you $15._  Trixie realized she had no pictures of her feet,  & turned her bedside lamp on, propping her bare feet up on a pillow.  She took a couple of photos from different angles, not really sure what she was supposed to be capturing— she understood how tits were sexy, but feet?  Not so much.

    

trix:   _trix_ _has attached three photos_

She swiped back to check the group chat, who’d moved on to talking about some music video Tati had found, then scrolled back to Jak3man69.   _You can no longer send messages to Jak3man69._  “Goddammit, mother fucker,” Trixie grumbled.   _Oh, well,_ she told herself.   _$15 is $15._

She took a screenshot of Jake having blocked her & sent it to the group chat. 

    

trix:  THIS ASSHOLE

milk:  wtf

tati:  WAIT did he block you

tati:  tell me you got some money first

trix:  half of it idk

pearl:  do u want me to say i told u so or

trix:  hey ive gotten $55

jasmine:  damn bitch!!!

tati:  i should do this shit

jasmine:  y’all are my sugar mamas now

trix:  IM DOWN

She scrolled back to her DMs, surprised to find a new one:  @katya_zamo. A woman? Trixie opened it curiously. 

    

Katya:  Hey there, saw your tweet… I’m Katya  :)

trix:  hi!  trixie!

Katya:  Don’t worry, not gonna demand to see your feet.

trix:  tits instead?  ;)

Katya:  I mean. I’m never opposed to the womanly form!

trix:  lol

Trixie wasn’t really sure what else to say… Katya made her feel significantly more comfortable than the other creeps had, but she was still a strange woman DMing her in response to a tweet about nudes. 

    

Katya:  Where do you live?

Katya:  I swear I’m not gonna kill you or something.

trix:  haha um i live in LA, hbu?

Katya:  SAME

trix:  are you sure you’re not a stalker

Katya:  I never said I wasn’t a STALKER… just that I’m not a killer.

trix:  …

Katya:  Okay, bad joke  :)

Katya:  How old are you?

trix:  24, how old are you?

Trixie figured repeating her questions back to her at least put them on a somewhat equal playing field in this awkward conversation. 

    

Katya:  39. You can just call me grandma!

trix:  that’s not even old tho

Katya:  I guess not.

Katya:  So anyway, I’m aware this is kind of insane of me to like reply to a random cute girl’s tweet.

trix:  cute?  :)

Katya:  Shut up, you know you are  :)

trix:  if you say so

Trixie clicked back to the group chat. 

    

trix:  GUYS

trix:  HEY

milk: what

jasmine:  chill, bitch

trix:  a woman DMed me

trix:  she’s pretty

tati:  SEND HER @

trix:  @katya_zamo

pearl:  women can be creeps too

milk:  yes thank you pearl

tati:  trixie you bitch

trix:  WHAT

tati:  have you looked at her profile

jasmine:  what’s the tea?

tati:  are you getting a for real sugar mama

trix:  WHY

jasmine:  she’s a rich skinny white lady!!

pearl:  oh whoa her photos

tati:  RIGTH?!!!

tati:  ***RIGHT

Trixie clicked on Katya’s name, then went to her _media_ tab.  “Oh!” she gasped.  Photos of a very muscular Katya in a bikini in front of a crystal blue body of water.  Katya in a sunhat on a yacht with a group of people who looked like her relatives. Katya in a strange plaid- &-flower-print dress, arms extended in front of the Eiffel Tower. 

    

Katya:  So what do you do?

trix:  i work at sephora

Katya:  You can help me with my makeup?

trix:  with a smile!

Katya:  Good!

Katya:  Okay so.

trix:  yeah?

Katya:  This is gonna sound wild.

trix:  spill

Katya:  Do you know how to ski?

trix:  poorly, why?

Katya:  Would you maybe want to go to Colorado?

Katya:  With me, I mean.

Katya:  God, that’s weird.  Ignore me. I’m an idiot.

trix:  lol i mean… tell me more  :)

Katya:  Really?

trix:  why not!

Katya:  What are you doing tomorrow?  And where do you live in LA?

trix:  i get off work at 4 & weho

Katya:  OH! I’m in Santa Monica!  Wanna meet for dinner & I’ll explain?

trix:  only if you promise you won’t murder me

Katya:  Hand to my heart!!

trix:  text me where you wanna go?

Trixie sent her phone number, well aware that this was probably the stupidest thing she’d ever done, but she was too intrigued by Katya to not see where this went.  Her phone vibrated in her hand:

_It’s Katya, your soon to be murderer!_

She giggled aloud, texting back:   _You’re being really flippant with this whole murder thing._

_SORRY, it’s creepy.  You like Russian food?_

_Good question… is any of it vegetarian?_  Trixie asked, completely unsure what “Russian food” even meant.

_Sure!  I can pick you up?_

_This is the murderer moment of truth huh… when I give you my address?_

_Exactly._

_Don’t attack my face… let me have an open casket pls_

_Bitch, that’s bleak!_  Katya sent a line of laughing emojis,  & Trixie sent her address in reply.   _How’s 7?_

_Sounds good!_

_Alrighty… I’ll check in with you tomorrow?  Unless you flake on me?_

_I won’t!  But only bc I wanna know what Russian food is._

_Then I’ll show you!  You won’t be disappointed!  Goodnight! :)_

_Night  :)_

Trixie felt her heart leap into her throat as she closed iMessage & reopened her group chat. 

    

milk:  would it look better with the blue shoes or the white tho

jasmine:  neither.  they’re both UGly.

milk:  cunt

tati:  i vote blue, milkyy

jasmine:  you bitches love me.

trix:  true

milk:  trix how’s it going with your sugar mama

pearl:  has she venmo-ed you yet?

trix:  no i uh

trix:  gave her my number

trix:  &&&&&&

tati:  and what?!

jasmine:  WHAT

milk: trixie wHAT

trix:  uh we’re getting dinner tomorrow

tati:  OMG

milk:  asdkjfadgshkfjads

trix:  it gets better

jasmine:  HOW

jasmine:  y’all sexting or what

milk: JAS

jasmine:  WHAT?! we don’t know!

trix:  she asked me to go to colorado with her

jasmine:  i’m not high enough for this.

pearl:  rt

tati:  GO!

trix:  i think im gonna… why not

pearl:  uhhhhh bc you like being alive, dumbass?

milk:  awwww i think it’s kinda cute

tati:  is she paying u or

trix:  idk tbh we didnt talk about it

pearl:  pls just be safe

trix:  I WILL BBY

trix:  i gotta shower & go to bed tho… i open tomorrow

tati:  ily

jasmine:  gotta get all fresh if you’re gonna be hoeing

milk:  lololololol

trix:  IM NOT HOEING

trix:  (yet)

trix:  JKJKJKJKJK

pearl:  go to bed lol

trix:  night

Trixie plugged her phone in & stripped her clothes off, not bothering to put them in the hamper.  As she turned on the shower, she thought of Katya— why would someone so cute & obviously rich need to beg for company via Twitter?  She was funny… clearly assertive… flirtatious… Trixie swallowed hard as she lathered shampoo through her long blonde hair. What was she getting herself into?  A date? Was Katya some kind of scammer? Or maybe she was one of those kinds of awkward rich people who just had no idea how to meet people?

_But that body_ , she thought, piling her hair, thick with conditioner, on top of her head.  She tugged her bottom lip between her teeth as she lathered herself with overpriced Laura Mercier body wash.  Even with her 20% employee discount, Trixie knew she had spent too much money on it, but the opportunity to smell like a crème brûlée was too good to ignore.  Hanging her loofah back on the hook, Trixie took down the showerhead & rinsed her chest & arms. The warm water caused her skin to bloom pink, & she turned the temperature down a notch before letting it drift to her thighs.

Telling herself _don’t think about Katya_ only made her think harder about her as the water beat against her soft skin.  Trying to call up mental images of hot celebrities as she lifted her foot up onto the ridge of the tub, Trixie used her other hand to spread herself, letting the spray pulse against her clit.  “Fuck,” she hissed to herself. Paul Rudd wasn’t doing it. Julianne Moore, nope. None of her standbys were getting her there. As she let her head tilt backward, conditionered hair falling down her neck, her mind drifted to the photo of Katya on the beach.  Her tiny navy blue bikini slung low across her hipbones, muscular thighs rounding out in front of her body… the fabric that barely covered her small breasts… the visible abs… her broad, gleaming smile… “ _Fuckfuckfuck_ ,” she hissed under her breath as her hips bucked against the water.  She grabbed roughly at her inner thigh, squeezing tightly as she came.

“Oh.”  She had to laugh at how absurd the entire situation was.  A stranger had messaged her on Twitter, invited her on a ski trip, & now here she was jacking off to her.  Trixie weakly hung the nozzle back on its perch & tugged the conditioner through her hair until the water ran clean.  After her orgasm, she was anxious to get out of the shower, brush her teeth, wash her face, & sleep like a rock. Neglecting pajamas, she quickly twisted her hair into two limp braids & climbed into bed naked, knowing the only thing keeping her from spending hours scrolling through Katya’s Twitter feed was how dead tired she was.

 

* * *

 

    

trix:  im nervous

milk:  awwww bby

jasmine:  she’s probably nervous too.

jasmine:  maybe.  idk.

tati:  what are u wearing??!

trix:  that white dress from h&m

pearl:  the one you got with me?

trix:  yeah

tati:  IDK THIS DRESS

trix:   _trix_ _sent a photo_

Trixie had gotten off work & raced home to fix her face, rinse the public transportation sweat off her body, & change clothes.  Her Sephora uniform lay discarded on the foot of her bed in favor of a bright white maxi dress, the spaghetti straps feebly working to contain her cleavage.  After all day in heels, she wasn’t in the mood to put her ankles through that again, so she slipped on gold sandals. Shaking her hair down from the messy bun atop her head, Trixie glanced in the mirror hanging from the back of her closet door & shrugged before checking her phone.

_On my way… be there in 20 or so depending on traffic._ Katya had sent the text eight minutes ago.  “Okay…” Trixie tried to take a deep breath & rolled on an extra coat of deodorant before spritzing herself head to toe in vanilla-rose Lush body spray.  She added another layer of lip plumper before shuffling anxiously to the kitchen & absentmindedly opening the fridge, relieved to find half a pumpkin iced coffee from yesterday.

Sitting down at her tiny kitchen table, Trixie scrolled to the group chat to see a barrage of screenshots from what appeared to be Katya’s Instagram being sent. 

    

milk:  well i’m glad i’m not the only one creeping!

tati:  OMG shes so pretty!!!!!

jasmine: _jasmine_ _sent a photo_

pearl:   _pearl sent a photo_

tati:  shes enough to make me question my sexuality lol

jasmine:  BITCH SAME

trix:  what are we doing why is this happening

milk:  we’re just looking at your future wife <3

trix:  i literalyl fucking hate u all

tati:  trix, shes so hot!

trix:  I KNOW

trix:  shes also gonna be here any minute so im muting u guys

jasmine:  have fun, wrap it up

milk:  wrap what up

jasmine :  whatever lesbians wrap up

milk:  OUR HEARTS ASDJFHJDSKFHDS

pearl:  my bisexual ass is staying out of this

tati:  im gay for trixies gf

trix:  SHES NOT MY GF stfu ily all bye

milk:  sneak to the bathroom & tell us how it’s going <3

trix:  k bye for real <3

Trixie peered nervously out the window, feeling her heart racing.  She’d never been particularly nervous when it came to dating—  _ this isn’t even a date _ , she chastised herself— but the weirdness of the whole situation was giving her anxiety.  The coffee raced through her & she hurried into the bathroom to pee, knowing Katya could arrive any second.  Just as she was washing her hands, her phone vibrated with a text.

_ I think I’m outside your building! _

Trixie fluffed her hair in the mirror & took a deep breath.  She pulled on a denim jacket & grabbed her purse, jogging down the stairs, phone in hand, figuring she’d have to text Katya to ask which car was hers… until she spotted the convertible Mercedes Roadster idling across from the building.  Katya waved when she spotted Trixie & she waved back as she jogged across the parking lot toward her the car. “Hey,” Trixie smiled shyly as she opened the passenger’s side door.

“Hi!”  Katya’s long, bright blonde waves were slightly tangled from the drive, & tumbled wildly over her shoulders as she turned to greet Trixie.

“Nice car.”  Trixie buckled her seatbelt & glanced over at her coyly.

“Thanks.  Hope you don’t mind I have the top down.”

“No, not at all!”

Katya nervously drummed her short, unmanicured nails on the steering wheel as Trixie nestled her crossbody purse between her feet.  “Hungry?”

“Yeah!  Curious about this Russian food.”  She smiled softly, which noticeably calmed Katya down, & she nodded & zoomed out of the parking lot at a speed Trixie wasn’t entirely prepared for.  As Katya pulled out onto the main road, Trixie looked her up & down from the corner of her eye. She wore an expensive-looking leather jacket with black jeans.  No wedding ring, Trixie noted, which eased her mind. She’d been secretly terrified that Katya was like so many other women she’d met online or on Tinder— happily married, just in the market for a unicorn to share with their husbands.  Weaving fearlessly through traffic with one hand, Katya’s eyes narrowed & lips pursed a bit as she drove, left hand hanging out the side of the car. Trixie smirked to herself at how badass Katya looked.

“So,” Trixie broke the surprisingly comfortable silence after a moment.

“Yeah,” Katya chuckled.  Her voice was low, husky— not what Trixie had necessarily expected from seeing her photos, but she wasn’t complaining.  “How was work?”

“Oh!  Um… not bad today.  We weren’t very busy, surprisingly, so I just ended up doing a lot of stocking & straightening.”

“Less human interaction the better?”

“Pretty much!”  After a few seconds, Trixie followed up.  “What do you do?”

“Me?  Ehhhhh… nothing, really.”  Katya pushed her blowing locks back from her face & changed lanes.  “I don’t work, per se, if that’s what you mean.”

“I guess?”

“I do some volunteer stuff,” Katya offered.  “Mainly with the LA LGBT center. But that’s not, like, a  _ job _ job.”

Trixie nodded, tucking that tidbit away in the back of her brain.  “That’s cool, though. What do you do there?”

“Whatever they need me to, really.  Sometimes just mundane stuff around the building; sometimes I help with programming— things for kids, mainly.”

“I wish I had more time… I’d love to do something like that.”

Katya nodded & the corners of her mouth curled up into a slight smirk.  “It’s pretty neat.”

Once they made it to the restaurant, Katya greeted the hostess in fluent Russian, which nearly knocked Trixie off her feet.  She followed behind Katya & the hostess as they led the way to a table, suddenly feeling acutely aware of being the odd one out.  Opening the menu didn’t help that feeling, as Trixie was smacked not only with a bunch of Russian words, but with English translations that barely made anything clearer.

Katya glanced over her menu & met Trixie’s confused expression with a hearty laugh.  “What?!” Trixie laughed, cheeks flushing.

“Your eyes were like—” Katya held out her hands in circles to mimic Trixie’s eyes bugging out of her head.  “Just get anything that sounds good— it’s on me.”

“I can pay—”

“No,” Katya held up a hand to quiet her.  “I want you to have the full Russian experience.  Everything you wanna try, get it.”

“I… don’t know where to start,” Trixie admitted with a laugh.

“Do you drink?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let’s start with vodka!”

“Is that because I’ll be easier to murder when I’m drunk?”

“Oh my god!” she wheezed.  “I’m never gonna live that murderer thing down.  It was ONE TIME!” Trixie burst into laughter, then covered her mouth as she noticed annoyed glances from the next table over.  “No, really— I’ll explain myself… but after vodka.”

The waitress approached with two glasses of water & Katya smiled politely at her.  “Здравствуй! Можем ли мы иметь две ягодные водки и два хрена?”

“рожь и рассол?” the waitress asked.

“Спасибо!” Katya nodded.

Trixie stared excitedly at Katya, lips pursed in amusement.  “What did you get?”

“Vodka!”

“That was a lot of words for vodka.”

“Trust me.”

“Well, I clearly do  _ for some reason _ ,” Trixie rolled her eyes teasingly.  “Or I wouldn’t be here with you.”

“Good!”  Katya clapped, resting her elbows on the table, chin propped atop her hands.  “Now I have a question.”

“Okay.”  Trixie shifted in her seat.

“Why were you selling pictures on Twitter?”

“Why were you trying to buy them?” she snapped defensively.

“Oh, mama!” Katya snorted.  “I asked you first!”

Trixie shrugged, still feeling protective.  “I need money. Sephora keeps hiring new people & cutting our hours back, & I can barely afford to pay the rent on my tiny studio apartment, much less do anything fun.”

Katya nodded solemnly.  “Make any money last night?”

“Some.”

“Some?”

“Not much,” she sighed.  “I mainly just dealt with creeps all night.”

“I can only imagine,” Katya sympathized.  “How much is your rent?”

Trixie raised an eyebrow.  “Why?”

“Just tell me.”  Katya’s demeanor softened.

Trixie leaned back in her chair, sizing Katya up.  “$1495.”

Katya leaned back, too, matching Trixie’s posture.  She took a sip of her water while she worked it through in her head.  “Bills?”

“What about ‘em?”

“What do you pay?”

“I dunno… electric is like ninety, water is around thirty… & internet & phone.”

“So like another two hundred?”

Trixie shrugged.  “Probably. Why?”

“I have a business proposition,” Katya grinned deviously.

“Ваши напитки, дамы,” the waitress interrupted, gingerly placing two large shot glasses each in front of them, & a small round plate of sliced bread & pickles in the middle. 

“Спасибо!” Katya replied.

“Wh—”  Trixie started.

Katya held up a finger to shush Trixie.  “I’ll explain,” she chuckled. “So in Russia—” she over exaggerated her accent, rolling her Rs, “You toast & then take your shot… then sniff the bread & eat the pickle.”

“ _ Sniff _ the bread?” Trixie scrunched up her face in disgust.

“Don’t ask me, милашка!” she threw up her hands in confusion.

“What’s that mean?”

“What?”  Katya asked as she wriggled out of her leather jacket, hanging it on the back of her chair & exposing her bare arms in a white t-shirt with black tigers printed all over it.

“Whatever you just called me.”

“Милашка.”

“That!” Trixie squealed.

“Cutie,” Katya winked, causing a soft blush to bloom across Trixie’s full cheeks.  “Do this one first—” she pointed to one of the glasses, then picked up a slice of rye bread from the shared plate.  Trixie copied her, a skeptical look on her face. “к новому приключению,” Katya raised her glass in a toast. Trixie followed, eyeing Katya’s movements as they downed their raspberry vodka shots, then went through the bread-&-pickle routine.

“What did you say?” Trixie asked as she munched on her pickle spear.

“To a new adventure.”

“What kind?”  She already felt more daring, even with only a single shot under her belt.

“Depends on how much you’re gonna judge me.”  Katya leaned forward on her hands.

“I just watched you vehemently sniff a piece of bread.  I think the judgment is out of the way,” Trixie smirked.

“In that case… backstory.”  Trixie nodded in agreement, absentmindedly pushing the straw around in her glass of water.  “Let’s run down the list: I’m 39. I’m comically awful at relationships. My parents keep trying to set me up with every man, woman, or extraterrestrial creature they can think of.”

“At least they care?” Trixie tried.

“You’d think that… but it’s really just exhausting.  I’m fortunate they’re not homophobes— but I literally  _ cannot _ take another family trip where they spend legitimately the  _ whole _ time bothering me about it & trying to make me go on blind dates & whatever,” Katya waved her hand around aimlessly.  She started to speak more quickly as she got nervous. “I know it’s literally fucking  _ insane _ of me to even be, like, sitting here with you & considering suggesting this to you because I’m a random stranger, but I saw your tweet & I was like… this girl seems normal & you were gorgeous, clearly, & I thought, like, maybe there’d be something in it for both of us, ya know.”

“Katya.”  Katya looked up at her.  “Slow down.” Trixie smiled reassuringly.

“Sorry.”  She tossed her hair over one shoulder, twirling a strand of it crookedly around her finger.  “Okay, lemme just lay it out there, point blank. My family has a fuckton of money. More than they know what to do with— more than  _ I _ know what to do with.  It’s just old money bullshit, whatever, literally not interesting whatsoever.  But I wanna help you. If you’ll let me.”

“With what?”

“Money.”  Trixie pushed her second shot glass around, watching the vodka wobble in the glass.  “Is that weird, like, does that make you nervous or—”

“No.”  The firmness of Trixie’s answer surprised even her.  “It doesn’t. Can we just take these?” she laughed quietly, grabbing her slice of bread.

“Sure.  You have to toast this time.”

“All I know how to say in Russian is  _ yes, no, _ & _ thank you _ !”

“Well, say it in English, then!” Katya laughed.

“Ummmm… to… us… being friends.”  Trixie drew out the words carefully, unsure exactly if it was the right thing to say.

“Yes!” Katya chirped.  “To us!” They touched their glasses together before downing the shots.  Trixie choked & sputtered, frantically shoving a pickle spear into her mouth.

“What the fuck!” she gagged, sucking the juice from the pickle to cool her mouth.  “What was that?!”

Katya took a chomp from her pickle.  “Horseradish vodka! You want authentic Russian experience!  I give!” she teased in a heavy accent.

“I was gonna tell you to order me anything to eat, but I don’t know if I trust you anymore!” Trixie giggled.

“No, please!”  Katya heaved dramatically.  “Let me guide you!” Trixie rolled her eyes with a smirk & picked up her menu.  “So we could just do a like… sample of appetizers. Since you’re a vegetarian?”

“Yeah, sure.  I’m not picky.”

“Okay, then!”  Katya reached over & plucked Trixie’s menu from between her hands.  “Lemme surprise you!”

Trixie pursed her lips amusedly.  “Go for it.”

Katya waved down the waitress & thankfully— for Trixie— ordered in English.  “Can we do a few different appetizers? Maybe… the black caviar with blinis… the pickled veggie platter… a small order of the cabbage vereniki… & a small olivier salad?”  Trixie’s eyes lit up at the feast she was about to be presented with. “Do you want a cocktail or anything?” Katya asked her.

“You tell me,” she raised her eyebrows in a challenge.

“Two martinis with one of your house infused vodkas?  Surprise us.” The waitress nodded & took their menus.

“Did… you just order caviar?” Trixie squeaked.

“Do you not like it?!”

“OH my god, I’ve never even been in a restaurant where caviar is an option!”

“Fuck, it’s not vegetarian, is it?  I’m such an idiot!” Katya cringed.

“No!  I’m not gonna pass up the opportunity to try it!” she giggled.  “Don’t worry!”

Katya twined her fingers together nervously.  “Okay… before you get all tipsy,” she grinned broadly, showing her bright white teeth.

“Yes?”  Trixie leaned forward on her hands, matching Katya’s gesture.

“Let me help you.”  Her voice was lower, quieter than it had been, & Trixie gulped.

“Okay,” she whispered, for the first time really looking into Katya’s eyes.  The intensity of the seafoam green color she was met with took her breath away, & she prayed Katya couldn’t hear her heavy inhale.  

“Okay?” she whispered back.

“Uh huh,” Trixie nodded shyly.

“I don’t want you to think, like… I don’t wanna… um—”

Trixie cut her off.  “It’s fine.” 

“About that ski trip…” she smirked.

“Yeah?”

“So my family has a house in Beaver Creek & we go every year like right after Thanksgiving… just my parents & my siblings & some extended relatives.  It’s this embarrassingly big house & half of it goes to waste anyway… but I might have… told my mother I was bringing somebody.”

Trixie burst into laughter.  “Just to get her off your case?”

“Yeah!”  Katya rolled her eyes at herself.  “So I thought… like… I’d have plenty of time to find a nice girl to bring along.”

“But you didn’t,” Trixie finished with a grin.

“Look, I’m terrible at socializing!  It’s easier to like… watch TV? Read a book?  I dunno… do anything else.”

“It is,” she laughed.  “It fully is.”

“So here’s my proposition: come with me.  You help save my ass from my family; I help save yours from your bills.”  Trixie nodded slowly. “Talking about money is so gauche,” Katya rolled her eyes melodramatically.  “But rent & bills for a month? And you aren’t paying anything for the trip, obviously.”

Her jaw dropped open.  “Katya, I—”

“Just say yes.”

“I… I’d just come with you without you having to do that,” she said quietly, looking down at her hands.

“Girlfriend experience for free?” Katya winked, poking her forearm from across the table.

Trixie snorted.  “I’d feel bad letting you pay for stuff!”

“I’d feel bad if you wouldn’t let me.  So there.”

She was silent for a moment, picking the glitter polish from her thumbnail before glancing back up at Katya’s expectant face.  “Fine,” she smiled, shaking her head slightly. “But only because I get the sense you won’t give up.”

“I won’t.”  Katya reached up to separate her hair, pulling half of it over each shoulder.  “I guess this makes us business partners,” she grinned, extending her hand to Trixie.

“Partners,” Trixie matched her grin, shaking her hand tightly.

 


End file.
